Is Sourwood deer resistant?
Oxydendrum arboreum
Plant typeTreeHardinessZones 5–9LightPart shade
Mature height240–360 in
BloomSummerMaintenanceLow, mostly leave it alone
Native range19 US states
About Sourwood
One of the best small native trees, with drooping white flower sprays in midsummer and reliably brilliant scarlet autumn colour. It needs acid soil and dislikes root disturbance, drought and city pollution, which is why it is planted far less than it deserves.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 4.5 to 6
- Drainage
- Consistently moist
- Water
- Moderate
- Spacing
- 118 to 177 in apart
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Maintenance
- Low
Similar to Sourwood
Other trees with the same deer rating.
- Allegheny ServiceberryAmelanchier laevisZones 4–8Seldom damaged
- American PlumPrunus americanaZones 3–9Seldom damaged
- Austrian PinePinus nigraZones 4–7Seldom damaged
- Chinese Fringe TreeChionanthus retususZones 5–9Seldom damaged
- Chinese Paper BirchBetula albosinensisZones 5–7Seldom damaged
- ChokecherryPrunus virginianaZones 2–6Seldom damaged
Where Sourwood grows
Hardy across most of these 50 states on zone range alone. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering.
- Pennsylvanianative
- New Jersey
- New Yorknative
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- Virginianative
- Marylandnative
- Michigan
- Wisconsin
- Ohionative
- Indiananative
- Illinoisnative
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- North Carolinanative
- Tennesseenative
- Georgianative
- Texas
- Colorado
- California
- Oregon
- Washington
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Maine
- Rhode Islandnative
- Delaware
- West Virginianative
- Kentuckynative
- South Carolinanative
- Floridanative
- Alabamanative
- Mississippinative
- Louisiananative
- Arkansasnative
- Oklahoma
- Kansas
- Nebraska
- Iowa
- South Dakota
- Montana
- Wyoming
- Idaho
- Utah
- Nevada
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Alaska
- District of Columbia
- Hawaii
Highlighted states are within its native range according to the USDA PLANTS database, where it is native to 19 US states in total.
Browse from here
Every list Sourwood belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Sourwood
- Is Sourwood deer resistant?
- Sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum) is rated Seldom Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.
- What hardiness zones does Sourwood grow in?
- Sourwood is hardy in USDA zones 5 to 9. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
- Does Sourwood grow in shade?
- Yes. Sourwood tolerates part shade, which makes it one of the options for a shaded bed where deer also browse.
- How big does Sourwood get?
- Mature height is roughly 240–360 in. Growth rate is slow.